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So I just invested in an XBox One. With my XBox 360, I had a small "bluetooth" like device to chat in-game. I was fully expecting to do that again, but there doesn't seem to be an option to do this anymore. What?

Are the only options to chat really only using a huge set of headphones or the Kinect? Is there no middle ground? Is there a microphone I can get and plug into the XBox? I don't want to use headphones to play games and chat.

I would even be willing to go with a Kinect if there was an easy way to quickly mute it besides yelling out "XBox Mute!"

I can't be the only one who feels this way. Those that share my feelings, what have you done?

With the new controllers, I was under the understanding that any set of 3.5mm earbuds with a mic would work. Or is that what you are also including as 'headphones'? I'm thinking you aren't because you say later that headphones are huge...ear buds are hardly huge.

I agree that it would be nice to be able to have a physical mute button for the Kinect... Even if it was something like "hold down start and select at the same time" (or whatever those buttons are now called).

So I just invested in an XBox One. With my XBox 360, I had a small "bluetooth" like device to chat in-game. I was fully expecting to do that again, but there doesn't seem to be an option to do this anymore. What?

Are the only options to chat really only using a huge set of headphones or the Kinect? Is there no middle ground? Is there a microphone I can get and plug into the XBox? I don't want to use headphones to play games and chat.

I would even be willing to go with a Kinect if there was an easy way to quickly mute it besides yelling out "XBox Mute!"

I can't be the only one who feels this way. Those that share my feelings, what have you done?

I am so glad I can help. I was in you exact same situation 4 days ago.

What happened is that Microsoft Upgraded its Controllers to 3.5mm and The Audio As well So the Market is flooded with Cheap "Stereo" Headsets.

BUT most of not all Repeat the Game Audio through the headset. Which is what Many people want Very Good Sound and a Headset so they don't Wake Everyone.

In my case I have a Booming 7.2 THX Dolby Atmos system and don;t need a Cheap headset for Sound

But I do need CHAT. Well Don't buy the Microsoft Headset they don't make them anymore
Microsoft has Officially Licensed 3rd Parties to make much higher quality Chat Headsets.

I bought this one at Target and its Excellent. Only CHAT no Game Audio through the Earpiece.

I appreciate the suggestions, but none of them address what I was hoping to attain. That is to chat without the need of headphones and without the need to plug wires into my controller. Unbelievable that we have come full circle and are back to using wires after having been wireless for so long.

I'm curious if the XBox Elite controller would be able to map a mute button. Would anyone know if that is possible?

I thought I would update this thread for anyone else frustrated with Microsoft's unusual decision to remove options on using wireless headsets for chat.

I have not found a wireless option (there might be an expensive one, but I have not looked into that). The one that Curtieson suggested was for the XBox 360. I had for a short time, used the one that HEATBaller suggested. But it was pretty uncomfortable and still required the use of wires and headphones (albeit on only one ear). Thus I returned it.

I have a Kinect and according to my tests, my friends say that I sound like I am on a speaker phone with that echo / hollow sound. No one mentions that it is annoying though. The mic picks up my voice rather well. I even went so far as to talk in a somewhat soft voice while sitting approximately 8 feet away from the Kinect and my party had no trouble hearing me at all. I still have the problem of needing to go to the settings to mute the chat function. What it requires is (while in a game) pushing the XBox button, hitting left on the controller once, then scrolling down to the settings button, then selecting the "Mute Kinect Chat" function right there. Obviously this is still very inconvenient!

I have found another option however: LINK[geekbuying.com] These earbuds are similar to ones you would use for your phone while driving in the car. Advantage: No need to use huge headphones with the added ability to use these in only one ear if desired, resulting in a far less cumbersome experience. Disadvantage: Even though it mentions that it has a mute button, in my testing it never actually muted anything.the work around would be to pull the plug out of the controller to disable the headphones.

I understand that none of these options are ideal. But for it to become that way, it would require an update by Microsoft. Let's hope they hear us and comply.

I don't think that there is anything that is wireless. As far as I know most of the options will be buying some headphones that will be compatible with it, which does stink. But if you check around there might be some smaller ones that you can find.